Sorting machine



June 11, 192.9. L. A. CHERRY SORTING MACHINE Filed oct. 16, 1924 3 sheets-sheet f www 4 June' 11, 1929. L A CHERRY 1,716,620

soRTING MACHINE' Fled'Oct. 16, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .June 1l, 1929. L A. CHERRY SORTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 16, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER A. CHERRY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CUNDALL, POWELL & MOSHER, INC., .OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SORTING MACHINE.

Application filed October y16, 1924. Serial No. 743,943.

This invention relates to improvements in sorting machines and more particularly to a machine for sorting cup-shaped articles,l such as the metal caps of bottles or cans, and arranging them in uniformpositions, preparatory. to being operated 'upon by another forming machine or by the capping machine in which they are secured to the container to be covered.

One ofthe objects of this invention is to prov-ide a machine of this character which will receive'a quantity of cup-shaped articles in bulk and sort and discharge thesamc, each in the same position, such as each article or cap with its open or concave side out, without requiring further attention on the part of the operator.

'A 'further object is` the provision of such a machine which will assort caps of varying sizes and shapes within certain limits, which can beI readily adjusted to accommodate a still larger variety and the capacity of which can still be further extended by the substitution of several elements of the machine, which can be accomplished easily and expeditiously. Y

Still further objects are to provide a cap sorting machine which is of simple construction and few parts, and which will arrange the caps quickly and economically and which is not liable to become clogged or injured by deformed caps.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l, is a verticallongitudinal section of my cap sorting machine mounted on a supporting standard.

Figure 2, is afragmentary front elevation of the sorting wheel and discharge chute i showing in dotted lines the action of the' wheel and ejector on the caps.

Figure 3, is a fragmentary sectional-elevation of the sorting wheel and the adjacent part of'the machine showing a cap being discharged, the same being taken on line 3 '3 Figure 2.

Figure 4, is a rear elevation of the sorting wheel showing the radial cap channels and lugs arranged within.

FiguresVy 5, G and 7 are fragmentary scctions of the sorting wheel taken on line 5-5, 66, and 7-7 respectively of Figure 4.

Figure 8, is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the cap in such a position that it cannot be dicharged.

Figure 9, is a front elevation of the machlne showing the sorting wheel removed.

Figure 10, is a view similar to Figure 3, showing a modification in the construction of the part-s to permit relatively high and narrow caps to be sorted and the cap is shown. in successive positions preparatory to being' discharged.

Figures 11 and 12 are views similar to Figure l0, but showing the caps improperly arranged and trapped by the sorting wheel and also showing the discharge chute in section.

Figure 13, is a sectional elevation of one form of a cap adapted to be sorted in this machine.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in eachl of the several views:

In its general organization my cap sorter consists of a hopper or magazine which is adapted t0 contain a quantity of loose caps and has a discharge opening in `front of which is arranged a vertical dished sorting disk or wheel rotated by power and provided with a plurality of ribs and baiies on the end open forming the discharge openingthrough which the'supply of caps contained in 'the hopper are fedinto the lsorting Wheel.

To facilitate the feeding'dof the capsvforwardly through this discharge opening, the bottom 16 of the hopper is inclined rdownwardly and forwardly so that the caps are propelled by gravity in this direction. The hopper may be mounted in anyl suitable manner as by providing a standard 60 upon which the hopper is adapted to be secured by a set screw 61.

The hopper is supplied with caps or the other articles to he sorted through an o ening on its upper side which is adapte to receive the throat 18 lof a filling hopper which has the usual upper part 20 of funnel form and is open at the top. This filling hopper is removably held in place by an annular rim 21 arranged around the upper end of the throat and having an outwardly extending flange 22 adapted to engage the top of the magazine.V The lower edge of the v throat is inclined downwardly and forwardly forming an apron 19 at the front end which prevents the accumulation of an excessive quantity of caps in the front part of the hopper and consequent interference with the free operation of the sorting wheel, but permits a large supply to be stored in the rear part of the hopper and to be gradually fed forwardly as the quantity in the front part is diminished.

'Arranged longitudinally within the magazine or hopper 15 lis a horizontal housing 23 which is adapted to support a driving shaft 24 by which motion is imparted to the sorting wheel 17. As shown in Figure 1, this housing is made integral with the body 15 of the hopper and is suitably reinforced by a vertical web 25 which extends to the inclined bottom 16 thereof. The driving shaft may be journalled in this housing in any suitable manner as by providing bearings 26 at the inner and outer ends of the housing and it is held against longitudinal displacement by two retaining collars 27 mounted on the shaft adjacent to the bearings which collars are held .in'place by set screws 28. Power may be transmitted to this shaft in any well known manner as by keying a pulley 29 on the rear end of the driving shaft which is adapted to receive a driving belt (not shown), driven from any suitable source of power.

rIhe sorting wheel is rigidly secured to the front projecting end of the driving shaft so as to turn therewith but is ada ted to be adjustedlongitudinally on 4the s aft so that the distance between the sorting wheel and the co-operating part of the hopper can be varied within certain limits to suit the articles to be sorted. Forthis purpose a set screw 30 is provided which passes through the hub of the sorting wheel and is adapted to `engage its shaft. `As shown in Figure 1, the sorting wheel has a rearwardly flaring rim 32 giving the, wheel a dished or bell form into the concave side of which the articles to be sorted are fed. Triangular reinfrcing webs 31 are preferably provided on the front side of the sorting wheel which extend radially outward fromthe hub and strengthen the wheel.v

The outwardly flaring rim of the sorting wheel is composed of an outwardly and rearwardly flaring intermediate side portion 33 and a peripheral or edge portion 34 having a relatively greater' flare than the intermediate side portion. On the inner side 35 of the rima plurality of spaced V-shaped ribs 36 are arranged, the legs of which are parallel with radial lines of the Wheel and `form radial channels or guideways 63 which are adapted to receive thc caps, as shown in Figure 4. The inner face of each of these ribs is substantially parallel with the intermediate side portion 33 and the end face is coplaner with the rim of the wheel, as best shown in Figures '5 and 6.

Arrangedl centrally in each cap channel on the inner side of the peripheral edge portion 34 is an angular projection or detent or bale lug 37, one face 38 of which forms a continuat-ion of the surface of the intermediate portion 33 of the wheel rim and the other coplanar with the rim for a purpose which will presently appear.

A face or baHe plate 39 is secured to the front end .of the hopper by bolts 40 which plate is adapted to co-operate with the sorting wheel in arresting improperly positioned caps. s shown in Figure 9, this plateis provided with a central opening that regislters with the discharge opening of the hopper and adjacent to the bottom and sides of this opening it is provided with a semicircular forwardly bulging lip 41 which extends out into the sorting wheel. The outer or peripheral face 42 of this lip is conical in cross section and conforms to the curvature and form of the innerface of the intermediate portion 33 of the rim. This lip is arranged adjacent to the inner edges of the V-shaped ribs 36 and forms an upper wall of the channels formed b said ribs.

Extending outwardly rom the end of the lip is a 'fiat portion 43, the face lof which is parallel with the sorting Wheel and together with a lip forms a receding wall of the channel through whichvthe caps pass, which substantially conforms with the adjacent salient wall formed by the rim and lugs of the sorting wheel. The other two walls of each channel, formed by the corresponding sides 4 la semicir'c'ular channel 65 into which the caps, that successfully clear the sorting means arranged between the sorting wheel and the plate 39, are dropped and conveyed from the machine.

The` preferred means for accomplishing this discharge of the caps comprise a discharge chute 45 arranged on the lower part of the plate 39 and opening into the lower end of the channel which chute is covered by a plate 46. To assist in the discharge of the caps an arcuate deflecting member or plate 47 is arranged in the channel 65 beyond the discharge opening and is suitably secured to the plate 39 by bolts or otherwise. The upper part of this arcuate member extends substantiall the length of the channel on the descendlng side ofthe sorting wheel and completely blocks the samefand its lower end is made in the form of a longitudinally projecting finger 48 which is adapted to direct the caps into the discharge chute 45.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

The caps A49 are dumped into the hopper through the filling opening and are thence carried by gravity down into the dished sorting wheel which is rotated counter clock wise. 0n falling into the sorting wheel the caps are engaged by the V-shaped ribs and arranged in the cap channel 63 therebetween.

They may assume any position in these channels but by reason of the close arrangement of the ridge or extremity 50 on the lip 41 and the bottom of the cap channels only those caps which lie flat in the channels are permitted t-o slide downwardly between these parts as indicated in Figures 3 and 8, the rejected caps being carried on or tumbled into position by the rotating Wheel. The caps which have cleared the first obstruction therefore pass into the lower or outer end of the cap channels either rim side down, as indicated in Figure 3, or riml side up, as in Figure 8. If they are rim side up (Figure 8) they ride alon the upper side of the V-shaped detent or ale lug` 37 until they strike the opposing vertical face 43 of the face plate 39 and being unable to pass around the acute angle caused by this lug are trapped and carried along with the Wheel. If, however, the cap enters the space between the lip 41 and the wheel with its rim side down it slides down the' inclined upper face of the baille lug'until the depending front edge 64 of the cap drops over the rear end thereof so that it covers or caps this lug and drops against the inner face of the peripheral portion 34 of the rim.

The cap is nover free to slide downwardly, the rear edge 66 of its rim sliding along the upper face of the bale lug and bringing the cap into a vertical osition until said rear edge of the rim reac es the end thereof and permits the cap to dro vertically against the flange 44 out of t e iniuence of the sorting mechanism. The caps, each The caps which are rejected by the sorting Wheel are trapped in the sorting channels and carried around until each channel is inverted sufficiently to permit the cap -toslide backwardly through the channel and fall back into the hopper. Should any of the caps become wedged between the sorting wheel and the bulging portion on the face plate 39 they are carried beyond the upper end of this bulging portion kand when thus freed they tumble back into the hopper. If a properly positioned cap should attempt to drop through the tortuous path before it isv even with the discharge chute, it would be intercepted by the arcuate plate 47 and carried along the inner edge of the same until it drops from' the radial cap channel 63 into the collecting channel 65.

Figures '10#13 show a modification in construction whereby the machine is. adapted to operate onrelatively high caps 81 such as the well known screw caps for catsup'bottles and the like. In this construction the sorting wheel is spaced at a greater distance from the hopper and each balile lug or projection 37 is provided on its vertical rear edge with a recess 80 which permits the leading or front edge of the rim of a properly positioned high cap 81 to swing therein after dropping over the angle formed by the baie lug 37 and permits the leading or front edge 67 of the top or crown of the cap to clear a semicircular ridge 68 provided on the baie or face plate 39 immediately outside of the lip 41, as shown by dotted lines in Figurey 10. If the cap assumes either the positions shown in figures 11 or 12 it is arrested as the point 69 on the ridge 68 and the point 70 on the lug are arranged too closely together to permit passage of the cap with its full height or diameter. Thus it is apparent that the invention is adapted to operate on a relatively wide variety of irregular-shaped articles which have the characteristics of a cup-shaped article.

As a whole, my invention'is of very simple and inexpensiveconstruction considering the function which it performs, and is consequently not liable to get out of order. The caps are sorted expeditiously and are not liable to become wedged between the moving arts and ifbadly deformed caps are fed 1nto the machine they are rejected by the sorting wheel and hence remain in the hopper, where they can be easily removed. Furthermore by rendering the sorting wheel or disk longitudinally adjustable on the driving shaft, the machine may be adjusted to 'sort caps of different sizes and shapes,

and by replacing a sorting wheel and bafile plate of one size by a Wheel and plate of another size the machine can be adapted to all shapes of caps of any ordinary size, thus eliminating the necessity of a large number of sorting machines or of keeping an unduly large number of parts to be interchanged.

This machine has been more particularly designed for sorting caps which are of symmetrical form in cross section at right angles to the axis thereof but it is to be understood that the same is equally applicable for. sorting articles Which are of' other forms in cross section.

I claim as my invention 1. A machine for sorting cup shaped articles, comprising meanscforming an angular channel adapted to receive said articles, said channel having two Walls which are flat and parallel, an angular receding Wall and an angular salient Wall opposite said receding Wall composed of three faces ar ranged at an angle to each other; means for feeding said articles into said channel; a lug arranged in said channel on the inter mediate face of said salient Wall, said lug being provided with a recess; and a projecting portion on the receding wall of said channel opposite said lug, said recess being adapted to receive the rim of the article and permit it to pass when the article is so arranged in said channel, and said lug and projecting portion co-operating to arrest said article when arranged in any other position; and means 'for returning said arrested articles from said channel into said feeding means.

2. In a machine for sorting cup shaped articles, a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotatable dished sorting Wheel mount-` ed adjacent said opening, a baffle member arranged on said hopper and projecting into said Wheel and forming an angular passage with the rim thereof, a plurality of ribs arranged on the inner side of the rim of the sorting Wheel and forming radial sorting.

channels adapted to receive said articles, and a baille lug arranged in each of said sorting channels which is adapted to co-operate With said baffle member and permit the passage f of articles when arranged in one position,

and arrest'the same when .arranged in any other position.

3.'In amachine for sortingcup shaped articles, a hopper having a discharge opening, a baffle member arranged on said hopper adjacent said opening, a dished sorting Wheel rotatably mounted adjacent said opening and spaced from said bafiie member, a-flaring rim on said sorting Wheel composed of an intermediate `fiaring portionl and a peripheral portion having a greater fiare, ribs arranged on the inner side of said rim and forming radial sorting channels thereon, which channels are adapted to receive said articles, and a baffle lug arranged in each of said channels on the inner side of said peripheral portion and co-operating with said bafiie member -to permit the passage of articles when arranged 'in one position and arrest the same when arranged in any other position.

4. In a machine for sorting cup shaped articles, a hopper having a discharge opening, a balile member arranged on said hopper adjacent said opening, a dished sorting Wheel rotatabl mounted adjacent said opening and spaced rom said baie member, a flaring rim on said sorting Wheel composed of an interlnediate flaring portion and a peripheral portion having a greater flare, ribs arranged on the inner side of said rim and forming radial sorting channels thereon, Which channels are adapted to receive said articles, and a baffle lug arranged in each of said channels on the inner side of said peripheral portion, the inner side of each of said lugs forming a continuous surface with the inner side of' the intermediate portion and the ends of said baffle lugs and ribs being substantially coplanar With the rim of the Wheel, and said lugs co-operating With said baille member to permit the passage of articles when arranged in one position but arrest the same when arranged-in any other osition.

5. In a machine or sorting cup shaped articles, a hopper provided with a discharge opening, a rotatable dished Wheel mounted adjacent said opening and spaced. from said hopper, a flaring rim on said sorting Wheel composed of an intermediate flaring portion and a peripheral portion having a greater are, a baie lip projecting outwardly` from the rim of said hopper into the sorting Wheel, the outer Jface of which conforms to the curvature of the inner face of said intermediate portion, an outwardly `extending flat portion arranged at the outer end of said lip, ribs arranged on theinner side of the rim o f the sorting wheel and forming radial channelsradapted to receive said articles, and a bafiie lug arranged in each of said channels on said peripheral portion each of which' lugs is adapted to support said article When it engages any portion of the same other than its rim, but permitsl said article to pass when the rim portion of the tending flat portion forming an abutment for the articles so su porte/d by said lug.

6. In a machine or sorting cup shaped articles, 'a hopper having a discharge opening, a rotatable dished Wheel mounted adjacent said opening and spaced from said hopper, a flaring rim on said sorting Wheel composed of an intermediate flaring portion and a peripheral portion having a greater flare, a VVbaille ymember arranged on said hopper adjacent said Wheel, and Aformedto provide a baliie ridge which projects `toward article ,is engaged and said outwardly ex-v said sorting Wheeland is concentric with the axis thereof, ribs arranged on the inner side of the rim of the sorting Wheel and forming radial channels adapted to receive 5 said articles, and a baffle lug arranged in each of said channels on said peripheral portion, each provided with a notch on the side adjacent said baile member, said lug, notch and ridge co-operating to permit passage of articles when they are arranged so that the 10 lug engages the rims thereof, and said lug and ridge eo-operating to arrest said articles when arranged in any other position.

LESTER A. CHERRY. 

